Tisch presents 4-part series at St. Andrew's

After a successful program in the fall on neuroscience and the brain, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Saratoga has decided to focus on addictions and substance abuse for its latest educational series.

To that end, the church has invited Rosemary Tisch, an expert on the topic, to give a four-part presentation, specifically on the implications, effects, warning signs and the impact on families. The next event takes place on March 11.

On that evening, Tisch, who serves as the director of Prevention Partnership International, an organization that develops programs to provide resources to children, families and communities to break the cycle of addiction, will talk on "The Disease of Addiction: Process and Warning Signs." During the session, Tisch will use role playing to inform her audience about brain chemistry and addiction, as well as symptoms of the disease.

The next program will take place on April 22 with a discussion about "The Impact of Chemical Dependency or Addiction on Children and Families." Tisch will discuss how one person's chemical dependence affects the other members of his or her family and what those members can do to help the individual.

Finally, on June 2, Tisch's topic is "Healthy Individuals, Families and Communities--What can you do?" In that session, Tisch will touch on risk factors, how to talk with children about alcohol and other drugs, and enabling and empowering.

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The series kicked off in January with a general discussion about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and how they affect bodies, minds, emotions and relationships. About 30 people attended the program, most of them adults who are suffering from an addiction or who have loved ones with an addiction, said Jan Seamons, a spokeswoman for the church. She said she wishes there had been more students in the audience.

"It could've been great if we had more students or parents," she said. "Based on what I saw in the first session, I would say absolutely high schoolers, young adults and their parents ... that's who could've benefited really well from it."

According to Seamons, the goal of the series is to give the community a better understanding of the role that genetics and the environment play, and how people can help and protect themselves.

"Drugs and alcohol are kind of an epidemic in our society, so when we're strategizing about these forums, we get some of these big social issues and we try to address those that are the most prevalent in our society," she said.

Tisch is a well-respected authority on the topic, said Seamons.

Tisch is the author of numerous substance abuse prevention curriculums for children and families. She has conducted training programs throughout the world, and is an adviser and consultant to the National Drug Endangered Children Alliance, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the National Association for Children of Alcoholics. She holds master's degrees in counseling psychology from Stanford University and in piano performance from the College of Notre Dame.

Each presentation will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m., preceded by a light dinner at 5:30 p.m. The program itself is free, but there is a $5 suggested donation for the dinner.